UFC welterweight Luke Cummo arrested on DWI charge

“The Ultimate Fighter 2″ runner-up and current UFC welterweight Luke Cummo was arrested in New York on a Driving While Intoxicated (“DWI”) charge.

The 28-year-old fighter was one of 66 people arrested in Nassau County in New York between Oct. 13-20 as part of a DWI initiative to crack down on drunken driving.

Cummo today confirmed the charge with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and said the offense happened “last week,” but he declined to comment on the specifics of his case.

Cummo said he will soon post an official statement on his website, lukecummo.com, to explain the situation. He said he would have done it already, but he’s been busy taking care of his son.

His arrest and mugshot were recently posted on Nassau County’s official website. Cummo is listed as living in Lynbrook, N.Y.

“We are sending a message in Nassau County; if you’ve been drinking, and you decide to get behind the wheel of a car, we’re going to arrest you,” Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi stated in a press release. “By putting the names and photos of those who break the law by driving drunk onto our ‘Wall of Shame,’ we’re going to make sure that their friends, neighbors and families know about it.”

A DWI charge in New York requires a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher — or other evidence of intoxication. A first-time, non-injury offense generally results in a misdemeanor charge, though it can be elevated to a felony depending on the circumstances of the case.

Cummo (6-6 MMA, 3-4 UFC) last fought in August at UFC 87 and suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Tamdan McCrory. It was his fifth loss in his past eight fights. He had been tentatively scheduled to fight Steve Bruno at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops,” but Cummo recently pulled out of the event for undisclosed reasons.